Category Archives: Inspirational Books

There doesn’t seem to be a lot of sewing happening just yet. Lots of thinking, dreaming, web-surfing, idea-gathering, and organizing. My new sewing space is taking shape. After many years in boxes my treasured sewing books have emerged and made their way onto the shelves above the sewing machine ready for quick reference or ideas. A few other books that haven’t seen the light of day for quite some time joined them as well. It was like Christmas pulling them all from the boxes. The paint for the room is purchased and ready to go on the walls. And a couple of projects have been half-started. Can you half-start something?

One more step to cleaning out my old stash and making room for new was to pull out some flannel I had purchased for pyjama bottoms for my boys. I couldn’t find a pattern I liked so am using a comfortable used pair as my pattern and tracing them. It wasn’t as easy as it looked and I’m still tweeking the pattern.

I made a slight boo-boo and ran out of tracing paper at the top of the pyjama pants when it came time to include the elastic casing. A simple “cut and paste” was in order.

Serendipity dropped this beautiful book Blogging for Blissby Tara Frey into my hands today. Since I am so new to blogging and can use all the help I can get this was a particularly fortunate find on the shelves of my bookstore. The book features 50 different blogs and has plenty of inspiring pictures and ideas to incorporate into my own blog. Prepare for some changes over the next few days as I digest the pages.

The feeling of cotton and linen between my fingers elicits nothing short of bliss. I can walk into a fabric store and do nothing but walk around between the bolts of eye candy and rub the cloth between my fingers. I tend to stay away from the man-made fabrics. Instead I am drawn to the bolts and bolts of natural fibres. Thus the name for this new blog.

I have decided that in order to “follow my bliss” and spend my precious time working with fibre (something I have sadly neglected for far too many years) I need some medium to force me to focus on projects and bring them to completion. And so my blog is born. It is mostly for myself but I find joy in folowing other seamstresses ongoing pursuits so I hope that mine provides some joy for you as well.

So, what will my first project be? I have so many in mind. Something simple. Something fast. The satisfaction of a completed project to get the momentum going. This will take a trip to my sewing room to root through the stash. That in itself will be a feat.

My messy sewing room 😦

Here are some books that I’ve been perusing of late…

And now for some of the projects that look interesting as a starting point…

From ‘French General Home Sewn’ by Kaari Meng:

A Lavender Heart Pillow

Something to go along with my homemade bread, A Bread-Warming Seed Bag. The bottom is filled with flax seed that warms in the oven or microwave and keeps your bread warm at the table. How clever!

The Party Garland. I can imagine this done up in all sorts of colourways. For kids, for girly girls, and for adult parties too!

The Butcher’s Apron. Everyone needs a good utilitarian apron and this one fits the bill perfectly.

And the Farmer’s Market Tote. I love all kinds of bags:

From a lovely book I just discovered yesterday. ‘Carefree Clothes for Girls’ by Junko Okawa.

An Apron and Babushka Scarf:

This is simply beautiful. A Dress with a Quilted Bodice:

So adorable:

A Treasure Bag:

My aunt Caroline in Saskatoon is an avid quilter. She imparted a love of all things quilted in me. From ‘Pretty Little Patchwork’ from Lark Books, these are Lavender Eye Pillows by Belinda Andresson:

Imagine all the wonderful things you could store in a multitude of these pretty Soft Boxes:

And last but not least, a City Satchel from ‘Sew What! Bags’ by Lexie Barnes: